Environmental Science Biodiversity and Conservation 1 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: Which U.S. law provides the primary legal framework for protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats?
- Marine Mammal Protection Act
- Endangered Species Act (ESA) (Correct answer)
- Lacey Act
- National Wildlife Refuge Act
Correct answer: Endangered Species Act (ESA)
The Endangered Species Act (1973) prohibits harm to listed species and requires recovery plans and critical habitat designation.
Question 2: What is habitat fragmentation and why is it a concern for wildlife?
- Loss of individual habitat patches; reduces total habitat area
- Breaking up continuous habitat into isolated patches; reduces gene flow and increases extinction risk (Correct answer)
- Conversion of habitat to farmland; eliminates biodiversity
- Introduction of invasive species that fragment ecosystems
Correct answer: Breaking up continuous habitat into isolated patches; reduces gene flow and increases extinction risk
Fragmentation isolates wildlife populations in smaller patches, limiting movement, reducing genetic diversity, and increasing local extinction risk.
Question 3: What is the IUCN Red List?
- A list of banned pesticides and chemicals
- The global inventory of threatened species' conservation status (Correct answer)
- A database of invasive species by country
- A registry of protected national parks worldwide
Correct answer: The global inventory of threatened species' conservation status
The IUCN Red List is the world's most comprehensive inventory of species' global conservation status, categorizing extinction risk.
Question 4: What is an invasive species?
- A species that evolved in a location and dominates native species
- A non-native species that spreads rapidly and harms native ecosystems (Correct answer)
- A protected species reintroduced to its former range
- A species found only in a small geographic area
Correct answer: A non-native species that spreads rapidly and harms native ecosystems
Invasive species are non-native organisms introduced to new areas where they spread aggressively and disrupt native ecosystems.
Question 5: Which biodiversity hotspot concept identifies areas for conservation priority based on what criteria?
- Largest total species count
- High endemic species richness combined with severe habitat loss (Correct answer)
- Regions with the most endangered vertebrates
- Areas with the highest primary productivity
Correct answer: High endemic species richness combined with severe habitat loss
Biodiversity hotspots are defined by having at least 1,500 endemic plant species and having lost at least 70% of their original habitat.
Question 6: What does in-situ conservation mean?
- Breeding endangered species in captivity
- Conserving species within their natural habitats (Correct answer)
- Preserving genetic material in seed banks
- Relocating species to safer areas
Correct answer: Conserving species within their natural habitats
In-situ conservation protects species within their natural ecosystems, maintaining ecological relationships and evolutionary processes.
Environmental Science Biodiversity and Conservation 1
Which U.S. law provides the primary legal framework for protecting threatened and endangered species and their habitats?